The following projects were initiated by various agencies and completed within the agreed timeframe:

ITTO - Japan

Studies n the Management Standards of Hill Dipterocarp Forests in Sarawak from a watershed Point of View (phase II of ITTO)

Development of Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary (LEWS) as a Totally Protected Area (TPA) - (phase III) - stared 1 September 2001 for a period of 36 months

Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Project (1990 - 1992) - Japan

In 1990, a collaborative project, known as Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Project was established between the Forest Department Sarawak, several Japanese universities, and Harvard University. It has a wide range of research objectivities, the major one being to study the factors controlling the origin and maintenanceof high species diversity.

The plot is located in Lambir Hills HP, a lowland dipterocarp forest, in northern Sarawak. The dermacation of 52-ha plot started in November 1990 and was completed in March 1992. The plot measuring 1,040 metres long and 500 metres wide, is divided into 1300 squares of 20m x 20metres. These squares were further divided into 20,800 subquadrats of 5m x 5m.

The cornesr of the squares and subquadrats were marked with aluminium or plastic pegs. A topography survey was carried out to provide elevations for each intersection of the 20-metre grid throughout the plot. All free standing trees >= 1.0cm dbh were mapped, tagged, identified to species,measured for dbh and stem identify class scored. Tree positions were digitized in order to get the numerical x- and y-coordinates.

The first enumeration of the plot was completed in 1993 and the second enumeration was carried out between 1 May and 30 November 1997. Records from the first two enumerations made in 1993 and 1997 showed that Lambir Hills NP is among the most species-rich forests in the world.

A total of 400, 365 individuals was recorded comprsing about 1200 tree species in 286 genera and 81 families. The Euphorbiaceae (125 species) and the Dipterocarpaceae (87 species) were the most species-rich families. The Dipterocarpaceae dominated the forest with 42% of the basal area and 16% of the trees. Shorea was the most important genus with 53 species and the highes tree in the plot.

This was joint project between Malaysia and The Netherlands which was initiated on 10 November 2000. Two field trips (vegetation survey at Maludam NP and phenological survey of ramin at Naman FR, Bukit FR and Retus PF) were made during the year. The aim of the survey was to study the relationship between vegetation and soil types. All trees >=10.0cm dbh in the 20m x 20m quadrat, all saplings >=1.0 cm dbh in the 5m x 5m subquadrant and all vegetation in 3.5m x 3.5m x 5m subplot were measured and identified. The identified of tree species and data entry have been completed. The phenological survey was carried out in three different locations. Trees were identified, tagged, and measured for dbh along each line established. Flushes, buds, flowers and fruits of each tree were assesed. No ramin trees was flowering of fruiting during the initial trip. The phenological survey will be carried once every two months.

This project is a collaborative project between Forest Department Sarawak and AMRAD Pt. Ltd Australia. The objective of the project is to collect plant specimens for the screening of active chemical compounds with pharmaceutical potential. The project, started in 1997 would be completed by the end of the year. Several collection trips were conducted to collect samples from Rambungan, Mukah and Bakelalan. A total of 1000 specimens were collected and sent to Australia. ITTO LEWS project and Canopy Crane Project in Lambir N.P These are collaborative projects between Forest Department Sarawak and ITTO, and with Japanese research institutions respectively. Five trips were conducted for ITTO project in LEWS (Lanjak-Entimau Wildlife sanctuary) to monitor phenology of forest trees in the forest gene banks. For the canopy crane project, two trips were organized to establish a 4-ha plot and conduct a botanical inventory in the canopy crane site at lambir N.P.

DNA library of Dipterocarps, Ehime University - Japan

A total 239 samples were collected from Kubah NP and another 153 samples from Similajau NP for DNA analysis. This is a collaborative project with Ehime University, Japan to set up a DNA library for Dipterocarps.

Friendship Forest projects - Japan

Tree Planting Project between the citizen of Japan and Sarawak

The objectives of this project are:

(i) To complement the ongoing reforestation activities in Sarawak as part of the contribution by the people from Japan towards conservation and rehabilitation of degraded forest in Sarawak. (ii) To create understanding and to further enhance the relationship and to further enhance the relationship between the people from Japan and Malaysia.

For the year 2000 about 57.48 hectares of Friendship forest have been established under the joint Tree Planting Project between the citizen of Japan and Sarawak, in three different locations namely, Niah Forest Reserve (51.64 ha), Kubah National Park (3.42 ha) and sampadi Reserve (2.43 ha). The areas were planted with about 23,000 trees if indigenous species mainly of Dipterocarps Species such as Shorea macrophlla (Engkabang Jantong), Parashorea Macrophylla (Peran), Dryobalanops beccarii (kapur Bukit), Shorea Ovata (Meranti Pitis), Shorea Leprosula (Meranti Tembaga) and Shore Parvifolia (Meranti Sarang Punai).